We don’t claim to provide in depth match reports or results – you can find that somewhere like the BBC, who have teams of reporters. We provide unique comment and content, a more abstract look at the footballing world.

So, at the risk of sounding like James Gill, here are five things that stood out for us from the weekend’s fixtures…

1. The Big Four are now the breakaway Big Five; Aston Villa sit ahead of Arsenal, and from 5th (Arsenal) to 6th there is now a gap of six points. Martin O’Neill has done absolute wonders at Villa Park, enabling them to keep pace with the Premiership behemoths. If they keep up their current form, they will finish this season with 76 points. The season before O’Neill took over, they amassed 42 points – a startling measure of how far he has taken them.

2. Looking around the struggling sides and their managers, the following names crop up (newly promoted sides excluded) – Southgate, Allardyce, Redknapp, Sbragia, Kinnear, Megson, Adams. I know which two stand out for me – and it seems crazy that Sunderland and Portsmouth appointed such untried names when Allardyce was available. Not to mention his vilification and dismissal from Newcastle. Redknapp would not have left Portsmouth for many clubs, and has ultimate confidence that he can save Spurs. They’ll need to start converting more chances if he is going to.

3. Happy Hammers – how elated must they be that Zola was given time and didn’t panic, and now has them up to the heady heights of 8th? Everyone raves about the job Woy Hodgson has done at Fulham, but West Ham outclassed them yesterday – without Craig Bellamy – and now sit two places and three points above them. Admittedly Fulham have games in hand – but after looking like prime relegation candidates earlier in the season, Zola has done wonderfully well – powered by Carlton Cole – to turn them around. It remains to be seen if they can keep it up.

4. Chelsea are really struggling now, really grafting for results. Lampard’s deflected shot broke Stoke hearts in the 90th minute, and it was a pointed show of support for Scolari that he rushed over to hug him. Now without Joe Cole for the season, with Drogba frozen out, Chelsea’s cupboard suddenly looks bare (Big Phil is repeatedly turning to the unconvincing Franco Di Santo), yet Scolari refuses to sign anyone. Is it his frugality, rather than his Brazilian flair, that Abramovic was so keen on?

5. There are now several teams in awful runs of form – Hull, Newcastle, ‘Boro, Spurs and Bolton are all struggling massively and desperate for a win. Can West Brom, who have hit a semblance of form, pull off the great escape part two? Don’t bet against it.

This round of fixtures are finished by the enmity-filled Merseyside derby tonight. Everton are long odds to record their first victory at Anfield in a decade – but with their new found defensive resilience and siege mentality, don’t rule them out. Even without any strikers.

1. Harry Redknapp has clearly had an immense effect at Spurs, that is clear for all to see. But, if you aggregate his points from his time at Portsmouth and his points since joining Spurs, he would be on 24 – third place, and above both Arsenal and Man Utd. A great achievement.

2. Aston Villa missed a second consecutive opportunity to break into the top 4; losing to Newcastle denied them last time, and a home defeat to Middlesbrough denied them the chance to overtake Arsenal yesterday. With fixtures against Arsenal and then Man Utd coming up, they may have missed their chance for good.

3. A long trip up north, Blackburn’ roughshod tactics, torrential monsoon rain, and a tremendous goalkeeping display from Paul Robinson were not enough to even make Chelsea break stride. They are a thoroughbread, jockeyed by the ever-excellent Frank Lampard, and who would back against them winning back the Premiership title.

4. Another inspired goalkeeping display came from Jussi Jaaskelainen. He is a genuine pro, a great goalkeeper who in all probability could have played for, if not a Champions League side, one challenging for the top 6. But he has remained loyal to his beloved Bolton and now has 400 appearences for them. How refreshing.

5. West Brom became the 5th different side to prop up the Premiership this season. As the Top 4 now comprises the Big 4, how long will it be until the bottom 4 is devoid of suprises like Spurs and Newcastle?

Stoke and Hull continued to prove that the newly promoted sides are no pushovers – in the process raising concerns for Liverpool and Everton, who only took a point each. They play each other next weekend. Man Utd and Chelsea dominated a half each and a draw was a fair result. Stuart Downing missed a second consecutive penailty as Middlesbrough’s nice football got nothing against Sunderland, for whom Michael Chopra netted a rare double. West Brom lost the West Midlands derby to a vibrant Villa who now have three consecutive away wins. Spurs continue to be a source of amusement, Wigan still resilient – they shared a goalless stalemate. Newcastle’s problems continued, bossed by West Ham for whom Di Michele scored twice on his debut.